Operating means for circuit-controlling devices.



1% in eases J. K. LUX.-

OPERATING MEANS FOR GIRGUIT CONTROLLING DEVICES. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 31, 1906.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

JULIUS LUX, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIG-T OF COLUMBIA.

OPERATING MEANS FOR FIBCUIT-CONTROLLI NG DEVICES.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 31, 1966. Serial F0. 328,567.

Patented Oct. 20,1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, J ULIUs K. Lox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in'the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Means for Circuit-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification. 1 I

My invention relates particularly to means for indicating the positions of the movable contact and to operating means or handles for operating circuit controlling devices; ob-

jects of the invention are to provide an operating and indicatmg means which may be moved or turned 1n either direction from its normal operative position without operating the movable contact, or injuriously affecting.

- tion they will uniformly have a predetermined. position relative to the movable contacts thereby to indicate the open or other conditions of the circuits, said means being exterior to the cover for indicating the position of the movable contact the more conspicuously and unfailingly, while permitting the complete inclosure of the device so as to exclude dust, moisture, insects and the like. To provide in combination with. the hereindescribed features a means foreasily rem-oving and applying the said cover, indicating means, and operating means with a limited numberrof separately detachable parts.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter. .Tliel'iereimdescribed invention is designed to be applied to switches in general and more particularly to switches wherein the handle is designed to move in two rotary li' rections to influence the movable contact. One example of which is described inthe patent to M. G. W. Hart, #569,332, dated Oct. 13, 1896, and another example of which is shown in the reissue patent to Julius K.

- parts embodying my invention, parts being broken away, and the central portion shown in section, a cover and spindle are also.-

a side view at about right angles to that in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a top plan view on a reduced' scale of the handle and indicator shown in Fig. 1. Fig.4, is a detail.view of the collar F and a portion of the spindle, the latter bein broken away to show means for fastening t ose parts together. Fig. 5, is

a. detail view of modified forms of the collar, and the tooth adapted to rotate the movable contact of a switch in one direction onl.y,

said handle when'equipped withsaid modification willthen turn freely in one rotary d1- rection without operating the movable contact. I

Referring to the drawings in detail, E indicates the handle proper to which a pointer G or other'suitable indicating means 1s affixed the latter coacting with an indicator NT- on a cover -N' to indicate the poshown in part and broken away.- Fig. 2, is-

sition of the switch. The handle E. is of in'-.'

sulating material and has a metal bushing E9 molded therein so as to be; integral or rigid therewith. The said metal bushing E?- has a'projecting portion E whiclrwill be hereinafter described. I

E is a. sleeve movable longitudinally within the bushing E. Theupper endof the sleeve E is enlarged to receive the flanged head of the screw E; and the extremity of the enlarged part of sleeve E is spun or pressed over the flange of the screw E to unite the screw' to the sleeve and allow free rotary movement of the former within the latter.

The head of the screw E is incased in insulation E It will be noted that the screw is permanently secured to the handle to reduce? the number of detachable small parts that are easily lost or misplaced. The bandle bearing the integral bushing E and the movable sleeve E may thus be placed freely uponthe spindle Gr and while the handle and sleeve remain stationary the screw E may be turned home upon the screw threaded spindle to secure the handle as against removal from the spindle, while leavin the same free to turn upon the spindle G in either rotatable direction. The handle E is provided with a circular recess wherein the insulation part E may enter when the handle E and the bushing E? are moved upwardly upon the sleeve E. It will be plain that thesleeve-E and the screw part I l -E have substantially no perpendicular movement relatively to the spindle G and that the handle E and the integral bushing E have a predetermined perpendicular movement upon the said sleeve E. When the screw part E -E is screwed or jammed home on the screw thread the sleeve E the bushing E and the handle E may rotate freely upon the spindle G E indicates a coiled spring disposed about a recessed portion of the sleeve E and within the bushing E. One end of the said spring is enlarged so as to expand to engage in a-groove inside the bushing E, theother end of the said sprin is in engagement with an upper portion of t e sleeve and the spring is compressed so that when the screw E is home in the spindlethespring urges the bushing E and the handle portion E, perpendicularly toward the operating meehanism and holds the same close to the cover N. The spring connection between the bushing E and the sleeve E prevents those parts from having rotary movement relatively to each other-and all of the handle parts excepting E E* turn upon the spindle G The parts E E move in uriison with the spindle. From the foregoing it will be seen that the handle E and the bushing E, with its projecting portion .E turn freely about the spindle G and have a spring pressed movement parallel with the axis of the said shaft. The portion E is the driving and positioning connection between the indicating, operating means and the mechanism or movable contact of the device. The said portion E has oppositely disposed sides both of which are oblique relative to the axis of the shaft as shown in Fig. 2.

F. indicates a circular collar with a slot formed therein. the sides of which slot fit the spindle and secure the collar and the spindle together to move as one piece. The tapered sides of the portion E on the haniie fit into the said slot in the collar and the spring construction above referred tourgcs the part i downwardly into the said slot in the collar to eii'cct. a driving and positionin; engagement with the said collar and spindle and thereby with the. moving parts of the switch. The opposite oblique sides of the part l.*-'-- abut against opposite sides of the slot in the part F and constitute slip drive abutting connections between the rotary indicator and switch for positioning the indicator relatively to the switch andallowing the said indicator to rotate independently of the switch when power in excess of a redetermined amount is applied to the handle to which the indicator is aflixed, that is the coact-in engaging slip by each other when such excess power is screw threaded piece E -E is unscrewed whereupon all of the heretofore described parts are removable from the spindle as one piece, and all of the component parts thereof v 'which' extend above the cover N. The

strength of the spring E and the taper of the sides of the tooth E are so adjusted to each other that when the movable contact be comes lodged'in such manner as to prevent its turning in a given direction as by accidental disarrangementof parts of the de-' vice, the tooth E will compress the spring E by riding upon the inclined side of the slotted part F, and out of the slot so as to rotate independently of the parts F and G". The handle is designed to operate the device in either direction with predetermined forces and if the device does not respond to the said given operating force then the handle will rotate without the device so as to prevent overstraining the parts. This feature of the operation is especially important and valuable as applied to rocking or oscillatory movements of the type described in the patent last above referred to: since in that structure the movable contact may not rotate in both directions from its normal home positions. Covers for this class of devices are provided with notches so as to engage a projection on the base to hold the cover in a predetermined position. The words On and Ofi are marked or aflixed on the cover in suitable positions. It will be plain that this form of the device may have one edge of the collar so inclined that it will operate the movable contact in on'ly one rotary direction, said handle having a free or non-operating movement in the other rotary direction as shown in the modification Fig.

I have elected to embody in this case all broad or generic claims covering the sprin press handle and indicator connecting and releasing means.

What I claim is:

1. In an indicator for an inclosed electric switch. a cover and exterior rotary indicator having a slip drive abutting connections with the switch for positioning the indicator relatively to the switch and allowing the indicator to rotate independently of the switch when power in excess of a predetermined amount is applied thereto.

2. In an operating means for an electric switch, a rotary handle, abutting means disposed at an angle to the plane of movement of said handle for operatively connecting the handle. to. the switch, said abuttin g means having coacting oblique engaging faces which allow the abutting faces to slip by each other when power in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to the handle.

' mesa 3. An indicator for anLinclosed electric switch, the same com rising indicating means exterior to the incibsin cover, means includin a slip'connection or positionin the ,sai indicator relatively to switch, andyielding means for urging the said positioning means into operative posi-.

switch, 'the same comprising a part removable from the'switch, and a partfor bearing the said removable part, one ofthe said parts means including a v havingspring pressed slip connection for connecting the said parts to operate tlie switch.

6. :An operating means for an electric switch, the same comprising a spring pressed connection for normally driving the said switch and for releasing the said driving connection when power in excess determined amount is applied to the said operating means.

7. Operating means as an electric switch,

the same comprislng a driving connection and means havlng movement to interrupt said driving connection when power in exangles to each other,

cess; of a certain redetermi'ned amount is exerted on the sai operating means.

8. Operating means for an electric switch,-

the same comprising a slip-drive connection between the operating means and switch and", the said driving yielding means for urging connection into operative position.

9. An indicator for inclosed electric switches comprising an-inclosing cover and indicating elements exterior thereto, one of said elements being movable relatively to the other in directions at substantially right and means including a for positioning one of the elements relatively to the other. I

10. An indicator for inclosed electric switches comprising an inclosing cover and indicating elements exterior thereto, one of the elements being movable in two directions at substantially right an relatively to the other e ement, means including av slip-drive connection for positionin "the movable element relatively to the a ct er element and yielding means for urging the sai 4:- An operatingmeans for an electric.

. I I l 5. An operating means for an electric.

direction independently of said s of a prewhen power les to each other.

- Witnesses:

the

tion. a

11.;In a rotary electric switch,-a cover having indicating characters Qthereon, a

positioning means into operative posi-.

rotary indlcator exterior to the cover, a

spindle coaxial with the indicator, slip-drive connections between the indicator and s indle for positioning the indicator relatlvely to" the switch and allowing said indicator to turn independently -of .the spindle I when power in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to the indicator.

12. In arotaryelectric switch, a cover having. indicating characters thereon, a

- rotary indicator exterior .to the cover, a

spindle coaxial with the indicator, slip-drive connections between the indicator and spindle for positioning the indicator relatively to the switch andallowing said ind1 cator to turn independently of thespindle when power in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to the indicator, a handle secured to the spindle and rotatablein one indle.

13. Ina rotary electric switc 'a cover having indicating characters thereon, a rotary indicator exterior to the cover, a spindle coaxial with the indicator, slip-drive connections between vthe indicator and spindle for positioning the indicator relatively mule switch and allowing said indicator to turn independently of the spindle in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to the indicator, a sleeve coaxial'with the indicator and spindle, and means between the sleeve and indicator for urging the slip-drive connection to its operative position.

a 14. In a rotary electric switch, a rotary table independently of the spindle in one direction, an; indicator coaxial with the drive connections between the indicator for positioning said to the switch and allowspindle, slip spindle and indicator relatively ing one of the driving parts to rotate independentlvof the other when power in excess of a predetermined amount is a plied-to the handle, and means within the mdicatorfor urging the slip-drive connection to its o'perative position.

Si ed at lumbla, this 31st day ofJul 1906., I

i v JUL US K. LUX.

-E. Downnn, L; Es WITHAH. i

Washington, District of Co- I 

